America's oldest course auctioned for $410K

A little bit of golf history went up for auction on Saturday, as America's oldest golf course, Oakhurst Links, was sold for $410,000.

Previous Lewis Keller Sr. understands that the nine-hole course will be maintained, as will it's old-style equipment, but was disappointed by the price it sold for and the apparent lack of interest in bidding, particularly among the wider golf community.

''I felt like it was worth more to the world of golf than it is,'' Keller said. ''It showed this morning. That is disappointing. One thing is whether or not it is a financial success, apparently the world of golf does not feel that it is as important to them as I thought. That's what exactly it amounts to.''

The historic course located at White Sulphur Springs in Greenbrier County, West Virginia was built in 1884 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Golfers to this day rent hickory-shafted clubs and hit gutta-percha balls from old-fashioned teas made with sand and water.

''We had a good crowd but not a lot of bidders participating,'' auctioneer Tommy Garten said. ''There was a whole lot more asking for bids than getting bids.''